 |
Damning Patagonia |
 |
Plans to build several hydro-electric dams in Patagonia, one of the world’s most pristine wilderness frontiers, are meeting with both domestic and international resistance. If executed, the dams would result in the flooding of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and transmission lines cutting across five national parks. Those lines — a 3,000 km chain — will carry energy to the north, marring picturesque landscapes in the process.
Though the project is moving ahead as planned, organizations like CODEFF, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the International Rivers Network and Patagonia are pressuring the Chilean government to halt development, using a variety of tactics in the process.
The least altruistic and therefore most convincing argument may be that marring Patagonia’s beauty will result in a substantial loss of tourism revenues, both present and future. In light of the alternative sources of energy available to the Chilean government, this monstrous project, estimated to cost over 4 billion dollars, is unnecessary at best.
Help protect one of the world’s last virgin territories by urging Chilean president Michelle Bachelet to do exactly that.
Send a letter to:
Your Excellency
Ms. Michelle Bachelet
Presidenta
República de Chile
Palacio de la Moneda
Santiago - Chile
Or if you’re the faxing type, send it to:
011-56-2-6904958
Or if you’re the online form letter type, follow this link.
A Chilean report on the effort (en espanol):
It’s wonderful that it publishes, thank you for bringing this story to many people.
Paula